Sitting amongst the Tasmanian scrub, The Lake House gains its name from the body of water that sits on the site. Designed by Biotope Architecture, the bespoke design is guided by sustainability, with passive design principles utilised by the client.

Heat gain is maximised through the orientation of the house, with two linear forms allowing the sun to infiltrate the interior. The building has been split into two levels to ensure the ground wasn’t overly breached onsite. The decision to split the home birthed a corridor and connected the bedrooms and living spaces.

The bedroom wing has its light filtered by eucalypts that sit above intrusions and skylights, while a daybed in the living wing to the west offers views of the lake and bushland. A geothermal heat pump with ground loop pipes in the lake powers the home in conjunction with 72 photovoltaic panels that release excess back into the grid.

Locally sourced stone and timber complement one another to create a robust facade for a home firmly integrated amongst its surrounding. The single storey home is grounded in nature, with the dwelling an embodiment of what can happen when designers work with the earth, as opposed to against.